Oregon Welcomes AAPA

by David M. Tribby

The Red Lion Hotel on the River in Jantzen Beach
on the banks of the Columbia River was headquarters for the
American Amateur Press Association's 2007 convention, held from
Sunday, August 19, through Tuesday, August 21.

By Sunday afternoon most of the folks who pre-registered found the
welcoming table in the lobby and received a packet chock full of
information about Portland, plus a copy of Roy Paul Nelson's book
The Cartoonist.

More than twenty folks found their way to Chang's Mongolian
Grill for the traditional Charlie Bush Chinese dinner. At this
restaurant, diners fill their bowls with their own selections of
raw meats, vegetables, and sauces, then hand the contents to a
chef for cooking.

After returning to the hotel after dinner, many conventioneers
took advantage of the hospitality suite to continue their
conversations.

Monday, August 20

Ivan Snyder called the opening session to
order at 9:18 Monday morning. He read greeting from
several members who could not attend: Russell &
Delores Miller and Roy Paul Nelson. He announced that Marge
Adams Petrone Limerick Contest entries needed be submitted
to the judges (Jiyani Lawson, Jack Scott, and Dave Tribby)
by 11:30 am on Tuesday.

Ivan called upon officers to give their reports,
starting with "Doctor" Lee Hawes (who replied, "I don't do
prescriptions!").

President Lee Hawes was pleased membership has held around
250 for the year. The summer election period is coming to a
conclusion. There was a candidate for each office, but one (Les
Boyer, Secretary-Treasurer) died just after the ballots were
mailed. Ivan Snyder has agreed to serve if nobody is elected.
Lee thanked those officers who have served for the past two
years.

First Vice President Dave Tribby suggested members review the
AAPA Web
site and pass on suggestions to make it a more effective
recruiting tool. Last year the home page was reorganized to
highlight information of interest to potential recruits. Dave
observed that personal contacts, such as Lee Hawes has made with
his writing friends, have been much more effective at recruiting
than a classified ad purchased in a home schooling magazine. He
hoped the amendment dropping the credential requirement would
pass, removing a barrier for people filling out an application.

Secretary-Treasurer Ken Rystrom provided a written report
summarizing the change in the membership totals and treasury
balance over the past year. From August 2006 through July 2007,
there were 31 new members, 4 reinstatements, 33 expirations, and
7 deaths, taking the membership total from 261 (including 32
household members) to 256 (and 33). The treasury remains in good
shape, mainly due to donations made by members.

Official Editor Sean Donnelly thanked Ken Rystrom for his
prompt reports, and Roy Paul Nelson for his timely
reviews. Needing to produce an issue every other month keeps
Sean in the AAPA loop. Leland Hawes has been Sean's anonymous
co-editor, soliciting many of the published articles.

Mailer Jack Scott described his drive to Columbus (from
Mt. Vernon), Ohio, to learn about recent Postal Service
changes. One actually made the job easier: dropping the
requirement for putting rubber bands around every ten
bundles. (Jack donated a large box of large rubber bands to the
auction.) All international mail now goes via air mail, pushing
up AAPA's costs. Jack sends out about thirty sample bundles per
year, if you know someone who might be interested please pass
the name on to Jack.

At the conclusion of the reports, Ivan asked everyone
to introduce themselves. He then asked if anyone had a topic
related to AAPA not on the agenda that should be addressed.

George Hamilton rose and asked AAPA members to consider how we
might work together with other hobby groups. Aren't there
activities that could be coordinated, increasing results by
reducing duplicated effort? Today, AAPA has the membership and
NAPA has the money. (The Amalgamated seems to have the most
activity.) He recalled a coordinating committee he proposed in the
mid-1990s, but foot dragging by NAPA leaders of that era kept
anything from happening. Perhaps the time has come to try again.

Ivan pointed out printed copies of AAPA e-journals available for
reading on a table at the front of the room for anyone who had not
yet seen them.

Following a short break, Ivan introduced J. Damien Diachenko,
who spoke on the subject "Journal Design." Joe handed out a
brochure dealing he produced for the convention, dealing with one
idea per page. He then discussed each idea in detail.

Type: Work with what you have.

Paper: Match the paper to the printing process.

Color: Use as an accent.

Content: Freedom of the press is the spirit of AAPA.

Pictures: Easy to do with digital cameras; use clear images.

Software: Use a layout program, not a word processor.

Output: Get a device that will do the job; a laser printer
may cost more, but it will produce better results and last
longer.

Contemporary vs. Traditional: Progress is good -- but please
use proper punctuation and capitalization.

Journal Makeover: Joe showed an example of basing an amateur
paper on a page from the Gutenberg Bible.

You don't need a lot of fancy equipment and type -- just do what
you do well.

Following Joe's talk, members broke for lunch and then at 1 pm
reassembled in front of the hotel for a bus trip to downtown
Portland.

First stop: headquarters of the Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC)
where the group got to see the facilities that assist people who
want to turn out small magazines. Computer and letterpress
equipment were both present, as well as a library and the tools
needed to create a zine. The visitors had the opportunity to chat
with a zine publisher who was in the midst of a press run. (Jiyani
Lawson later signed Heather Lane up as a member.)

As they finished looking over the IRPC, members walked around
the corner to Powell's City of Books, a large store selling
both new and used books.

The bus returned to the hotel in time for people to form
informal groups and go to one of the nearby restaurants for dinner.

A little after 7 pm, Dean Rea introduced the evening's
speaker, William Sullivan. Dean met William
while working at the Eugene Register-Guard in the
mid-1980s. William, a freelance writer, pitched the idea of
a series of dispatches from a backpacking trip across Oregon's
wilderness. Those articles from his 1,300 mile trek were
popular with readers and formed the basis of his first book,
Listening for Coyote.

The topic for William's slide show, Hiking Oregon's
History, came from his book by the same name. He told stories
tied to Oregon, ranging from ancient native myths to a
Japanese bombing during World War II. He had pictures to
illustrate each story, along with maps to show
locations. William donated a copy of the book for the AAPA
auction.

Following the question & answer period after
William's talk, members made their way to the hospitality
suite for more socializing and snacks.

Tuesday, August 21

Tuesday morning's session started shortly after 9 o'clock
with Jiyani Lawson teaching "Glueless, Stitchless Bookbinding."
Participants found packages of paper (both text and cover stock)
on the tables, along with tools such as razor blades and
rulers. Jiyani showed how to fold, slit, and combine the text
paper into a signature, then add a cover -- again by folding,
slitting, and working one side of the paper through the hole cut
through another. Most of the students eventually caught on to the
technique, and many of the completed books didn't look too bad.

About 10:40, Ivan introduced AAPA member Rebecca Gilbert for a
presentation on the Independent Publishing Resource Center's
mission, program, outreach, and impact. Back in 1997-98, customers
of
Reading Frenzy, a bookstore selling small independent
publications, asked what it would take to create their own
zines. Rebecca and her friends rented 300 square feet of nearby
office space and stocked it with old computer and copying
equipment, resource files, and a library of sample zines. Soon
they started giving workshops on technical skills (editing,
printing, and computer operation).

The offices now take up 900 square feet (they could use 1500),
and their lending library has grown to over 5,000 publications.
They hired a part-time outreach coordinator, but still depend upon
volunteers for the bulk of the work. They provide a significant
outreach to youth, particularly those who have not done well in
traditional education programs or who feel the need for a literary
outlet. The IPRC has done about twenty events in the last year.

Their 200-250 members pay $45 per year to belong...which just
about covers the rent. In order to pay for the coordinator, keep
the equipment running, buy supplies, etc. they apply for grants
and solicit donations.

Tuesday morning's final segment, "Double Your Flavor, Double
Your Fun: A Recruiting Strategy," was led by Dean Rea. He asked the
question: "Why Recruit?" AAPA needs to retain enough members for
bulk mailing -- and also enough to hold a convention.

Recruiting tends to be happenstance. But if each member brought
in one new member each year, we would double in size each year!
Lee Hawes got his friends to write for Gator Growl, and
then convinced them to join.

In his new job as high school sports photographer, Dean learned
how technology has changed. He upgraded his computer system and
Internet connection to upload digital photos from home. Blogs and
e-journals are happening, so Dean urges AAPA to understand how to
use them, and not shut out new methods and technologies.

Members broke for lunch about 11:40. When they returned to the
meeting room at 1:00 they found tables full of interesting items
for the annual auction. This year's auctioneer, George Hamilton,
provided a running commentary on ajay history, the need for
generous bids, personality quirks of various individuals, and just
about everything else as he kept order among the bidders. He was
assisted by Ken Rystrom and Jim & Helen Doolittle.

George moved 65 lots of merchandise. There were vintage
amateur papers, books on a variety of topics, printing equipment,
a CD of Burton Crane singing from the 1930s, and a drawing by Roy
Paul Nelson. A C&P Pilot press brought the largest single bid,
$625. When the dust settled, bidders paid over $1500 for the items.

Banquet

Members gathered at 5:30 for the official convention
photograph, then made their way to the dining room. Following a
buffet dinner, Master of Ceremonies Dean Rea spoke on a variety of
subjects. He encouraged Jan & Ray Bourhill to find time in
their busy lives to publish -- perhaps while commuting on the
ferry. Dean expressed disappointment that a last minute injury
kept Fred Liddle from attending, particularly since Monday would
have been "Fred Liddle Night" at Portland Beavers' minor league
baseball stadium. Dean recalled others we miss who attended
conventions in the Pacific Northwest: Helen Wesson, Byron Scott,
and Les Boyer. He expressed thanks to

Jiyani Lawson, for making the Portlandia buttons

Nancy Karp, for framing the Roy Paul Nelson drawing sold at auction

Roy Paul Nelson, whose illness kept him from attending

George Hamilton, for skill as an auctioneer

Convention Chairman Ivan Snyder made several announcements.

He acknowledged several new members: Brian Nelson and his
daughter Ari, Paul King, and Carye Bye.

AAPA President Lee Hawes announced the AAPA Laureate awards.
Judges Gordon Rouze, Richard George, and Linda Donaldson have
completed their report, but due to Gordon's recent illness the
certificates were not printed in time to be presented at the
convention. They are now in the process of being signed. Winners
include:

The
Fossils, "the Historians of Amateur Journalism," asked Lee to
present two of their
awards:

The Russell L. Paxton Award to Dean Rea

The Gold Composing Stick Award to Dave Tribby

Dean Rea introduced the banquet speaker, Ken Metzler, who was
born in Boring, Oregon, and became a newspaperman, a journalism
professor, and is now a freelance writer. His topic: "Say
Something Important!"

Ken acknowledged his Boring roots. He felt it unfortunate when
newspapers used the town name as an adjective in headlines:
"Boring Boy to Wed Needy Girl" may have been the worst.

Ken believes the most important thing you can say is about
yourself. Take the world from your perspective, enjoy it, and
write about it. Try to let others learn something helpful from
your experiences.

After Ken's address, MC Rea returned to the podium for a
special presentation: another Roy Paul Nelson drawing, this one
for Chairman Snyder in recognition of his many efforts to make the
convention happen. President Hawes also thanked Ivan for his many
efforts in preparing an exceptional convention. Ivan had
responsibility for selecting the venue, rounding up speakers,
arranging bus transportation, preparing promotional material for
the bundle, collecting registrations, putting together information
packets that were ready for each person upon sign-in, stocking the
hospitality suite, and all the other details needed to run an AAPA
convention. The convention program ran to eight pages plus cover,
and was printed in three colors. Everyone got a personalized
three-color name badge. By the end of the evening, as he realized
he had pulled off the convention with no significant glitches,
Ivan had the relieved look of someone who could relax.

Wednesday, August 22

Those who lingered an extra day made a couple of excursions
south of Portland on Wednesday. First up was a visit to Roy Paul
Nelson, the artist-cartoonist with the distinctive style. Later
they visited the Nineteenth Century Operative Letterpress Museum
in Salem.